Singled Out: Goldenboy

A few years ago I had the wonderful opportunity to go to New Zealand and record with Neil Finn and the band for his "One All" album. In the guest house where we were staying was a Tascam 8 track reel to reel recorder along with a Wurlitzer piano. One evening I hooked them both up and started recording this little piano riff on the 8 track. While I was doing this, Sebastian Steinberg, who played bass on the album and was staying in the room next to me, came in and said "Ah yes." We talked about how it was like we were on music holiday.

We also talked about how New Zealand had this kind of dark and foreboding feeling about it. That feeling was further enforced when the following weekend we all stayed out at Piha beach. Stuffed in wetsuits two sizes too small we headed out into the water. Piha has black sand from all the volcanic rock surrounding it and the waves are absolutely treacherous. Our wetsuits were so tight that we couldn't swim properly and we almost drowned!

Although I'd brought that 8 track reel of tape that I'd been recording ideas on back home with me , I didn't have anything to play it on.

Years later when Jon Crawford and I were recording at his studio, Interstellar, someone came in and wanted to trade him an old Tascam recorder for some studio time. It seemed like a good trade but there was no way of knowing if this machine even worked because nobody even sells those reel to reel tapes any more.

Then I remembered the one I'd brought back with me from New Zealand and had never been able to play! We put it on and this little Wurlitzer piano riff that I'd completely forgotten about came out of the speakers. Inspired, we just kept adding on parts until it was complete.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself right here!

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